Fuel Smarts

Details Emerge on Hours of Service Proposal

The Department of Transportation is making plans to roll out its hours of service reform proposal.

The proposal is expected to be returned to DOT soon – perhaps this week – from the White House Office of Management and Budget, said John Grimm, director of data analysis and information systems at the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.Grimm cautioned that the rules have yet to arrive anywhere on schedule, but added that April 28 has been set as a possible date for an official introduction.He also shed light on some of the details. The proposal divides the industry into five segments based on type of operation, he said. The first two segments will consist of long-haul drivers who are regularly away from home base three or more nights in a row, and regional drivers who are regularly away less than three nights.Grimm did not discuss the restrictions on these segments, but earlier reports indicate that they will have 12 hours maximum on-duty time, driving or not driving. They will have 10 consecutive hours off duty, with 2 additional hours off in no less than ½-hour segments.The other three segments fall into short-haul categories: local pick-up and delivery, split-shift and drivers such as utility workers whose primary work is not driving. As truckinginfo.com already has reported from other sources, the proposal also will require some truckers to use electronic onboard recorders to keep track of their hours.